Friday, March 6, 2015

The past 3 weeks have been packed with cold temperature and winter weather. I'd say mother nature has decided to make up for lost time right here at the end of the season. We are about 2 weeks away from spring and with mounting piles of snow, sleet and ice the signs of spring are truly nowhere to be seen.

I'm not complaining though. Since about mid November my little guy has been asking for snow, even just a little bit. He stands at the window and just looks outside waiting for a flurry or two to fall from those big puffy clouds. I'd say he finally got his wish! Mother nature delivered, and in a big way. So we've taken full advantage of the frigid temps and the snow and ice.

We've sized the days each and every day the white stuff has been on the ground. The days have been spent sledding, building snowmen, building snow castles, attacking each other with snowballs and of course, making snow ice cream. Aside from playing with my little guy, another fabulous part of snow days are indulging in big bowls of soups and stews.

I've been basking in the glory of comfort foods. There's truly nothing better to enjoy on such cold, winter days. This spinach artichoke dip tortellini soup is one of the many meals we've enjoyed during this winter weather.

I love, love, love spinach artichoke dip. I mean, it's bordering on obsession. If we go out to eat and it's on the menu, then it definitely makes it's way to our table. Bonus points if the restaurants serve it with toasted, buttered crostini.

So, when I saw this soup on Closet Cooking it took me a matter of seconds to determine we were having it for supper immediately. I had a package of cheese tortellini in the fridge just waiting to be cooked and mixing them in this soup just seemed like the perfect thing to do. Creamy, cheese soup with bits of artichoke throughout, wilted spinach, and cheese filled tortellini. Oh my goodness, everything that is loved in the dip is right here in this soup.

So what are you waiting for? Seize this cooler weather; whip up this soup which comes together in under 30 minutes, slather some butter on a baguette and toast it then enjoy!

Directions:
Place a stockpot over medium heat, add butter and allow to melt. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and cook until tender and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour, stir to combine and cook an additional minute. While stirring continuously, add the broth. Add the artichoke and tortellini and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the tortellini is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese and parmesan and stir to incorporate. Once the cheeses have melted add the spinach and allow to wilt. Add the milk, cream, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Taste, adjust seasonings, if needed and serve.